7.28.2013

I decided to make them because they were WAY too expensive to buy (like $6-$8 a pair), and the cheap ones at the party store were..well, cheap. So this was a good alternative. They were about $1.50 each to make.

Materials needed:

Black headbands (I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $1 each)

Black stiff felt

Something round to trace (however big you want the ears to be, I used a tape roll)

I'll tell you how to make them so you can enjoy the delicious and adorable treat as well. If these were sold AT Disney World, they'd probably be like, $5 each..ridiculous. Darn those Disney prices.

Materials needed:

Double stuffed Oreos

Mini Oreos

Popsicle sticks

Chocolate almond bark

Red ribbon

Step 1:

Hold either side of the Oreo and shove the popsicle stick (gently)..gently shove..into the Oreo.

Step 2:

Scrape the cream off of the mini Oreo (then eat it). Hold the sides of the big Oreo together and gently push each mini Oreo into the sides of the big Oreo.

Step 3:

Melt your almond bark over a double boiler. (You can use the microwave, BUT it is a lot easier to burn it. Using the stove keeps the chocolate at a consistant temperature so you can work with it longer).

Instead of dipping the Oreo in, spoon the chocolate over ONE side of the Oreo and smooth it out using circular motions with the spoon (that way it will just be prettier when it dries).

Step 4:

Lay them out (remember only ONE side is dipped) on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer or fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is hard.

Step 5:

Spoon more chocolate onto the BACK side of the Oreo and stick back in the fridge.

Once the chocolate is hardened, tie on ribbons to the sticks to further "Mouse-ify".

I saw this t-shirt idea on Etsy and LOVED it. However, I didn't want to spend $25 buckaroos on one for Jillian's birthday party. Wah-wah.

Enter DIY.

Adding wording and embellishments to plain t-shirts is actually REALLY easy, so don't be intimidated. Follow these great tutorials here and here. Once you get the hang of it you'll want to do this to every plain tee your kid has. Promise. I would also suggest hand stitching (or using a sewing machine..but I'm not that talented) to sew around the outside of the letters. If you don't, they tend to peel up in the corners after a couple of washes.

I loved that I was able to customize this shirt exactly how I wanted to, and for a cost of about $5!

To make the Minnie mouse head outline, I google searched "Mickey Mouse head silhouette" and printed this one. You can copy and paste it into a Word document and re-size it to however big or small you need it to be. It doesn't matter if the resolution is poor, you just need the outline. I cut out it and used that as my template to cut out the black felt for the head, then sewed on a polka-dot bow made out of ribbon.

Is
my baby really TWO?! At her first birthday, James was joking how he was
surprised we'd kept her alive for an entire year and he knows a
hamster, gold fish, and a bird that would be pretty upset if they found
it. But I think the REAL accomplishment will be if we can make it to
her 3rd birthday party (can we say terrible two's?) HOLY SMOKES! They
don't joke about that term do they?

But
we love her to pieces. She's so incredibly bright and brings so much
happiness to our little family- I wouldn't have it any other way!

I've decided 2nd birthday parties are WAY more fun than 1st birthday parties. Or maybe that's just in our case because Jillian threw up at her first birthday party all over her cake, mid "Happy Birthday" song and went to bed early. THIS time she LOVED it. Most of my pictures of her are blurry because she wouldn't stay still (though I can probably thank the chips, cookies, cake, and Oreos for that one).

We of course had to do a Minnie Mouse theme. Jillian is obsessed. She can spot a Mickey/Minnie mouse object from miles away. At her checkups when they ask if I have any concerns about her vision, I almost want to answer "heck no."

But I had such a fun time putting this party together! I'm glad it paid off!

7.24.2013

That's what my mom told my 17 year-old brother when she asked him if he wanted to come out with us to the big play date at the park we had planned with several other moms and their kiddos.

But mostly it's true. That is a frequent topic of conversation. And he didn't want to go, for the record.

Going to a park with a bunch of toddlers? That isn't fun for a teenage boy? ;-)

We went back to Liberty Park today in Salt Lake, this time with more friends! We actually didn't get to talk a whole bunch because in case you didn't know, watching a flock of babies near a water source is actually quite consuming. But it was still fun being out together! These are some of the hippest ladies I know, my Mom included (hippest as in coolest and not as in having big hips).

The 3 hour nap Jillian took after this play date made the 1 hour drive to get to this park (darn traffic) totally worth it.

Also, after seeing pictures of myself in those sunglasses, if anyone wants them let me know. I stole them from my sister before she moved, and no one has told me how awful they look on me. You're all terrible friends.

hello

I'm Whitney.

I'm mostly just trying to keep my head above water over here (and by water I mean a sea of diapers, dirty dishes, and Pinterest ideas).
I also like to decorate and throw some parties along the way! Because if you're treading water you might as well throw some glitter in the air and paint a few things while you're at it. ..Right?